Means for igniting and controlling vehicle-lamps.



A. A. CLARK. MEANS FOR IGNITING'AND CONTROLLING VEHICLE LAMPS.

APYLIOATION FILED APR.24,1908.

Patented'Sept. 7, 1909.

191 hi eases entrain snares Parana oi nron.

ALFRED A. CLARK, 0F BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

MEANS FOR IGNITING AND CONTROLLING VEHICLE-LAMPS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 24., 1908. Serial No. 429,082.

Patented Sept. 7, 190% .To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Armin-3n A. CLARK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Baltimore city, and State of Maryland, have invented new and useful Improvements in I lil eans for Igniting and Controlling V ehicle- ;Lanips, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to means for igniting and controlling vehicle lamps, the object of the invention being to provide a simple inexpensive means for igniting and controlling the burners of the lamps carried by motor-driven vehicles such automobiles and the like, the device comprising means for divertii'ig a portion of the secondary current of the ignition apparatus of the internal combustion motor for causing sparks adjacent to the burner; also means for controlling the gas tank, generator, or any other gas apparatus and connections, whereby gas may be conducted to the burners by means under the control of the operator of the vehicle without alighting therefrom.

\Vith he above and other objects in View,

the nature of which will more fully appear as the description. proceeds, the invention consists in the novel construction, combina-- tion and arrangementi of parts as hereinafter more fully described, illustrated and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings :-F igure '1 is a diagrammatic plan view of the frame of a motor vehicle, showing the device of this invention applied thereto. Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional YlUW of the switch.

For the purpose of illustrating the appli- ,cnlion of the present invention to an autofnzobile, 1 designates the frame of the automobile and 2 the usual head lamps thereof 3 hile fl designates the engine by means of cl; the vehiv e'is driven.

The usual jump spark ignition apparatus rises a spark coil 4 and battery 5 and a spark plug 6 together with wires placing said parts in circuit, 7 and 8 designating the primary wires and circuit, 9 and 10 the secondary n -ires and circuit and 11 the ground wire.

In car ying out. the present invention, I employ a switch shown, for example, as in 2 and whie comprises a switch box 12 in which there nged aspring 13 having one call there secured to one side of the box and ole lly associated with a spark coil tel-mi 7 re shank 15 of which extends outs connected as shown in Fig. 1. The terminal 16 preferably consists of a metal block having one side thereof recessed to hold the free end of the spring 13 as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 2.," In the path of movement of the free end of the spring 13 there is arranged another metal block 17 which constitutes a lamp terminal, being provided with a threaded shank 18 to receive a wire 19 which extends to one of the lamps and connects to one of the spark points 20 adjacent to the burner 21 of said lamp. Opposite the spark point 20 is another spark point 22 from which the wire 19 extends to an other lamp where scribed is duplicated, a wire 19" leading from the final lamp, and grounded to a portion of the frame or to the gas pipe or which may be wired toterminal ll.

The spring 13 is. operated by means of a plunger 23 provided with an enlarged operating head 24: and mounted to slide through a metal guide base secured to the floor of the vehicle designated at 20. The plunger 23 comprises an inner insulating section 27 of material having no electrical conductivity which insulating section bears against the spring 13 and operates when the plun er is pushed inward'to move the free end 0 said spring from the terminal 16 to the terminal 17 thus diverting the current from the engine spark plug to the lamp spark points, whereby sparks are produced in proximity to the gas burner effecting the ignition of the gas. In order to control the entrance of the gas to the burners without requiring the driver of the vehicle to dismount, I provide a gas tank 28 or generator or other gas apparatus which is secured by st 'aps 29 or other suitalr means in any convenient manner to the "iicle body or frame, the tank or generator being provided with a discharge nozzle 30 from which the gas pipe or tubing- 3 1 heads to the lamps, said pipe or tubing being shown as branches or extensions 32 and 33 leading to the lamps. The flow of gas from the tank orgenerator 28 is controlled bymeans of a the arrangement just (lo-- stem 34 thereof an operating Wheel or lever 35 from which a band or belt 35 extends around one or more guide-pulleys 37 to a band-operating device which is shown for convenience as consisting of a band-wheel 38 operated by means of a hand crank 39, said wheel being journaled in a suitable drum 40 connected to the frame or body of the vehicle so as to place the operating handle Within convenient reach of the operator.

In order to light the lamps, the operator moves the handle 39 so as to open the valve of the gas tank or generator thereby permitting gas to flow through the pipe 31 and branches 32 and 33 of the lamp burners. The operator then presses the plunger 23 inward or operates other meanswhich may be used to divert the secondary current of the ignition apparatus from the engine to the spark points adjacent. to -the lamps.

This requires merely a momentary displacement of the spring 13 and as soon as the plunger 23 is relieved of pressure, the spring 13 returns immediately to its normal position in Which itlies in contact with the terminal 16 which is in the engine spark plug circuit. I

I claim I Gas control apparatus for automobile lamps comprising, in combination With a gas lamp burner, a gas tank, a tube leading from the tank to the burner, a control valve on the tank, an operatin shaft provided with a handle located Wit in'reach of the driver in his seat on the machine, and an operating connection between said shaft and the control valve on the gas tank. I

- In testimony whereof. I affix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.v

ALFRED A. CLARK.

Witnesses:

CHARLES H. QUIG EY, J A0013 S. NEW. 

